Bottle cap



Patented ct. 22, 1940 UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE .BOTTLE CAP John F. Price, Fulton, N. Y., assigner to Oswego Falls Corporation, Fulton, N. Y., a corporation of New York 4 Claims.

"This invention relates )to bottle )caps for milk bottles and the like, and more particularlyto caps formed of fibrous material such as paper or paper-board, and of the type embodying an outwardly flaring flange extending over the top edge or pouring lip of the bottle.

These caps are formed from a blank of sheet material and comprise a central discoidal portion having an upwardly extending peripheral flange arranged to be pressed in the mouth of the bottle, and which iiange extends outwardly over the bead of the bottle and downwardly a short distance about the periphery of the bead. In order that I these caps may be tightly retained in operative position during handling of the filled bottle, a disk of relatively thick fibrous material is ar- -ranged within the upstanding peripheral flange and acts as a backing therefor to press the same radially outwardly andmaintain the same against the bore of the bottle mouth.

The body of .the cap is usually formed'by drawing the blank with punch and die mechanism, and the thick backing' disk' is subsequently insertedin the flange of the capand the cap is shipped to the user in this manner. The backing disk resembles the conventional plug disk,milky bottle cap, and on which is applied suitable printing designating the contents of the bottle and the name of the dairy.

When the backing disks are pressed into the flanges under pressure sufficient to retain them in the flange until the cap is applied to the bottle, such initial strain or stress on the flange of the cap often results in the caps warping, because of climatic or atmospheric changes, to an extent where the caps are unfit for use.

If the backing disk is of such diameter as to loosely ilt into the flange of the body, difliculty is encountered during the manufacture of the cap in that the backing ldisk is fed over the formed body and fpositioned in the aperture' through which the punch travels for initially forming the body. In order that the backing disk will loosely `fit the flange, it must be of slightly less diameter than the formingplunger or punch,

and this results in the backing disk dropping of its own volitioninto the ang'e, and often it. does not drop in a plane parallel with the discoidal portion of the body. That is, the disk does not drop into proper seating position, with the result that the cap is not properly formed and the cap forming machine becomes disorganized. Also, if the backing disk is loosely seated in the flange of the body, there is a great possibility of the backing disk falling out of the flange during shipment and handling of the cap previous to its application` to the milk bottle. An object of this invention is to provide'a milkI bottle cap of the type referred to of such con-,g struction that the backing disk is maintained in theiiange of the cap without exerting any appreciable radial pressure on the flange, and at the same time when the cap is applied to the bottle,

the periphery of the backing disk presses the flange tightly against the bore of the bottle mouth. l

The invention consists inthe novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cap'embodying my invention and being applied to a bottle with a portion of the cap and bottle in section.

Figure 2 is a view taken on lines 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the cap shown in Figures land 2 withv certain parts broken away and other parts shown in section. The: body of the cap here shown comprises a central discoidal portion I0 formed with an upstanding peripheral flange II which merges with an outwardly flaring flange, here shown as comprising a plurality of angular surfaces I2 joined by an intermediate horizontally arranged section I3 and terminating in a vertical wall' I5 encircling the periphery of the bottle bead.

The ange I I is. formed with its external -diameter slightly greater than the internal diameter of the bore I6 of the mouth of the bottle B. As here shown, the external surface of the flange II is formed with .a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart, axially extending ribs or recesses I8 to permit the escape of milk, when the cap is applied to an overlled bottle.

It is necessary that caps ofthis type be secured to the bottle in a firm manner, due to the fact that the milk bottles are usually handled by grasping them by the bead at the top of the bottle', and inasmuch as this type of cap covers the pouring lip or upper portion of the bead, it is necessary that these caps be applied to thebottle in' such a manner that they will support the weight of the filled bottle. This result is accompllsed by arranging a backing disk 20 of comparatively stiff material in theflange' II, and in` these caps as -now manufactured, the relative dimensions of the backing disk 20, flange I I and the bore I6 in the bottle mouth are such that conv the bottle.

siderable pressure is applied to the cap inforcing it into the mouth of 4the bottle. That is, the external diameter of the flange I I is slightly greater than the bore of the bottle mouth, and when it is moved axially therein it is prevented from springing radially inwardly by the backing disk 20.

'I'his invention has to do particularly with means for maintaining the backing disk 2l) in the flange during shipment and handling of the caps previous to their application to ,the bottle, and at the same time not creating any undue stress on the flange II which would'result, by change of atmospheric conditions, in warping of the cap.

It will be understood by those familiar with the paper conversion art that paper products will, during changes in atmospheric conditions, shrink `or contract, and the direction of this co: traction depends updn the grain of the paper. Where an article comprises two or more separate paper ele- '.'nents, the grain of the paper in the respective Y elements may be suchrelatively as to effect considerable` warping of the article. In caps of the type referred to now in use, the backing disk is pressed into the ,ange II with the periphery of the disk in tight engagement with the flange, and there is accordingly no possibility of relative contraction or expansion of these elements with the result that when such action takes place, the cap curls up or warps to the extent where it is not fit for application to a bottle.

In my invention, this trouble is overcome by forming the backing disk 20 of slightly less diameter than the internal diameter of the ange, and

employing means for maintaining the disk in the,

Aange previous to the application of the cap^l to In the embodiment here shown, this result is accomplished by forming the inner surface of the flange II with a plurality of circumfelrentially spaced apart upwardly extending ribs 2 The disk zo is formed ef e diameter snghny less than the internal diameter of the flangev and somewhat greater than the diametrical distance between the surfaces of the ribs 2|. Accordingly, during the manufacture of the cap, as the backing disk 20 is pressed into the ilange' II, the periphery of the disk 20 engages the ribs 2|-. The ribs 2| are slightly resilient, and the backing disk 20 is accordingly retained in the flange; II by engagement with the ribs 2|, there being/al bottle, the flange I is pressed into the bore ||5` of the bottle, and after it has been forced slightly inwardlyr it engages the periphery of the backing disk 20, see Figures 1 and 2, and is prevented from further,inward-movement, with the result that it is pressed snugly into the bore of the bottle mouth, and the cap is retained on the bottle during handling of the lled bottle. Previous to the application of the cap to the bottle any contraction of the body of the cap, due to changes in atmospheric conditions, is permitted through the resiliency ofthe ribs 2 I.

The ribs 2|, and in the embodiment shown the 5 recesses I8, are formed by the punch and die drawing mechanism. That is, they are produced simultaneously during the formation of the body of the cap. This results in obtaining the advantages of the invention Without anyadditional cost 10 in the manufacture ofthe cap.

What I claim is: l 1. A milk bottle cap comprising a discoidal portion formed with an upstanding peripheral flange, the inner surface of said flange being l5 flange,l ay backing disk of relatively stili' material arranged on said discoidal portion Within said flange, the inner surface of said flange being formed witn a plurality .of circumferentially spaced apart ribs extending upwardly from said discoidal portion, said disk being of slightly less diameter than the internal diameter of said flange and having its periphery in engagement with said ribs to retain said disk within said ange previousto the application of the cap to the bottle, said ribs being resilient to permit said flange to move radially inward to engage the periphery of said disk when said cap is applied tothe bottle.

3. The combination of a bottle and a closure unit therefor, said closure unit comprising a discoidal portion formed with an upstanding periph,

eral flange, a disk of relatively stii material arranged in said flange on said discoidal portion, the external diameter of said flange being slightly greater than the internal diameter of the bottle mouth, said disk being of lesser diameter than the internal diameter of said flange, the internal 45 surface of said flange being provided with means coacting at circumferentially spaced apart pointsV with the peripheral edge of said disk to retain the same-in the ange before application of the closure unit to the bottle, and said means being vl-yieldable to permit engagement of said flange with the edge of said disk when the closure unit isvapplied to the bottle mouth.

4. A milk bottle cap comprising a discoidal portion formed with an upstanding peripheral flange, the inner surface of said flange being formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart ribs extending upwardly from said discoidal portion, and a disk of relatively stiff material arranged in said flange with the peripheral edge of the disk in engagement with saidl ribs.

JOHN F. PRICE. 

